This was taken during a mission trip to Belize on a playground at a small Nazarene elementary school in a town near the Guatemalan border. Though many of the families could barely afford the $20 annual tuition and most of the children had only one uniform, I noticed that the clothes were clean and pressed each day. Small tears were lovingly mended, which meant a family member was responsible for the daily cleaning, pressing, and maintenance of the uniforms. Compared to playgrounds in the U.S., this one was Spartan. The equipment was comprised of a couple of swings, a broken teeter-totter, and a large wooden cable spool, which the boys had commandeered. Like lumberjacks rolling a log, three of them took turns pushing the reel around the playground while a fourth attempted to keep his balance in the center. The lack of equipment didn't seem to have a negative impact on fun. When I closed my eyes, the joyful sounds I heard could have come from any playground.
I was impressed at the importance placed on hand-washing and how well the children complied, which was a lot better than places I've been in the U.S. This was the only faucet outside and just beyond the frame on the right is a young man who had been give the responsibility for monitoring the water usage. He took his role seriously and promptly removed the handle after each use, returning it to his teacher at the end of recess.